Culture shock rating

Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.

Low

Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.

Medium

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.

High

You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.

Low

Physicality

Physical rating

Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.

Low

Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.

Medium

Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

High

Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.

Low

TOUR SNAPSHOT

“”

Hey! Our guide was amazing. A little history and insightful information on the way to a wonderful beer tour! He was not rushed for time, even when we went well over and made us very comfortable. And now we know so much about the craft beer scene in Costa Rica!

Ms. ineke w., Australia - 23 Apr 2018

Absolutely brilliant. Opened our eyes to an incredible variety of beers - mostly excellent; some a bit odd - and our guide was superb. a memorable evenng (despite the beer intake). we loved it.

Mr. Neil M., United Kingdom - 22 Apr 2018

Really fun and interesting tour. For anyone that wants to see the hip and happening side of San Jose - and who enjoys a quality beer or 10 - this is the tour for you! Vinicio was an excellent guide, he showed us a great time and was full of knowledge and passion

Mr. Marc W., Australia - 25 Oct 2017

Tour snapshot

Did you get the memo? There’s a beer revolution going down in Costa Rica! Craft beer is here in a big way, and this San Jose beer tour is out to prove that by showing you just how crazy locals are over their beer, and plying you with samples so you understand the phenomenon on a first-hand basis.

Highlights

Explore San Jose’s Barrio Escalante and its collection of awesome local pubs

Experience the Costa Rica craft beer revolution first-hand

Sample some of San Jose’s best local craft beers in the microbreweries where they’re made

Dive head first into local pub culture, discovering which watering holes are most beloved by locals

Exclusions: Transportation to and from the meeting point/end point, food and drink other than specified above, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips / gratuities for the guide.

Schedule details

Duration: 3 hours

Meeting point:

National Theatre, next to the Costa Rica Grand Hotel

Starting time: 4.30 PM

Ending point:

Stiefel Pub

FULL ITINERARY

As locals have travelled and experienced craft beer abroad, Costa Rica has seen an increase in the popularity of craft beer and microbreweries. With new flavours, new beers, and a new beer culture to boot, now is the time to experience the beer revolution in Costa Rica.

Most of the microbreweries and craft beer-obsessed pubs are based in San Jose, which is pretty fortunate for us. Before we get into the beer, we’ll make a quick stop at the Artesanos Market, which is hands-down the best place in town to grab authentic local souvenirs. After a quick market shop, our San Jose beer tour will kick into full gear as we head to the eastern part of the city: Barrio Escalante.

Time to get into the heart of this San Jose beer tour! We’ll pay a visit to a local spot that brews their own beer, so you’ll get a full intro to craft beer, brief history of the craft beer movement in Costa Rica, and – of course – sample some of their fine brews! You’ll get to try three small samples of their different beers, which is definitely a solid way to start any tour, isn’t it?

From there our San Jose beer tour will continue through the neighbourhood, popping into some of the area’s most popular pubs, rubbing elbows with locals and learning why these spots are so beloved. At each pub you’ll get to sample either their own in-house beer or a local craft beer, and there will also be some Costa Rican tapas to indulge in (paired with the beer – fancy that!).

Your beer tour of San Jose will finish up in the most popular pub in San Jose, which is a great location to continue on into the evening. Our local guide will be more than happy to provide you with further recommendations and tips on where to keep sampling San Jose’s best craft beers and where to grab a local bite to eat.

Additional information

Exclusions: Transportation to and from the meeting point/end point, food and drink other than specified above, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips / gratuities for the guide.

Dress standard: Casual clothing.

Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.

Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point.
Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.

Additional Information: If you’d like to purchase things like souvenirs or a bottle of water, please bring some cash with you. Children are welcome in bars, so it’s not an issue to bring them along (age six and over).

Child Policy: Children and teens under age 12 are not permitted to join this tour.

Local contact

Traveller rating

Excellent

(15)

Very good

(1)

Average

(0)

Poor

(0)

Terrible

(0)

Rating summary

Overall experience

Guide

Local learning

Responsible travel

Met expectations

Ms. ineke w. from Australia travelled on 23 Apr 2018

Hey! Our guide was amazing. A little history and insightful information on the way to a wonderful beer tour! He was not rushed for time, even when we went well over and made us very comfortable. And now we know so much about the craft beer scene in Costa Rica!

Mr. Neil M. from United Kingdom travelled on 22 Apr 2018

Absolutely brilliant. Opened our eyes to an incredible variety of beers - mostly excellent; some a bit odd - and our guide was superb. a memorable evenng (despite the beer intake). we loved it.

Mr. Marc W. from Australia travelled on 25 Oct 2017

Really fun and interesting tour. For anyone that wants to see the hip and happening side of San Jose - and who enjoys a quality beer or 10 - this is the tour for you! Vinicio was an excellent guide, he showed us a great time and was full of knowledge and passion

Mrs. Jenn O. from Canada travelled on 03 Aug 2017

This was a great tour. Our guide was very enthusiastic and we learned lots about the local craft beer scene in San Jose. Was great to see new neighbourhoods in the city that we hadn't reached on our own.

Mrs. Kaitlin W. from USA travelled on 25 May 2017

Vinicio was the best! We booked this tour for the last night of our honeymoon. It ended up being just the two of us and our tour guide - Vinicio. We both had such a great time trying new beers, learning about the culture and exploring the streets of San Jose (and all of the street art). I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to explore San Jose with a twist. We love to try new beers, and some tapas. Thank you for a great last night of our trip to Costa Rica! Cheers Urban Adventures and Vinicio!

Mr. Denis K. from USA travelled on 26 Apr 2017

My tour guide Vinicio was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and gracious. I highly recommend him for anyone considering a San Jose tour.

Ms. Ashlee S. from USA travelled on 17 Apr 2017

Vinicio was a dope (very cool) guide and made us laugh a lot. He also had facts about more than just beer.

Mr. Trace B. from Canada travelled on 12 Mar 2017

My partner & I enjoyed the 'Art of Craft Beer in San Jose' tour very much!
Vinicio, our guide, was an excellent conversationalist. He was knowledgable about Costa Rica & Costa Rican beer.
Also, we were impressed with the quality & variety of Costa Rican craft beers and enjoyed the cool places around San Jose where we sampled them.

Ms. Alison S. from USA travelled on 22 Feb 2017

This was a great way to explore the city and visit restaurants I probably would not have found on my own. I was the only person on the tour, the guide made sure that I was having fun and that all of my questions were answered.

Mr. Michael M. from Australia travelled on 03 Feb 2017

Jurgen was great! We had a really good time.

Ms. Andrea H. from Canada travelled on 10 Dec 2016

Jurgen did a great job of peppering a beer tour with lots of local information. He was great leading a tour of "one" - those can be trickier as we can't entertain ourselves within the larger group!

Ms. Andrea C. from Canada travelled on 23 Sep 2016

Jurgen was knowledgeable, friendly, and I had a wonderful time tasting the local brews, and learning a lot about the area and Costa Rican culture overall.

Ms. Kirstin N. from USA travelled on 08 Sep 2016

Jurden was very knowledgeable and friendly. Our walking tour encountered some rain so we took an Uber to the middle destination- after the rain let up, he backtracked us through what we missed to ensure we got the full experience. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone stopping through San Jose! It was a wonderful way to see some hidden gems in the city, and the beer was fantastic.

Ms. Randy B. from USA travelled on 09 May 2016

Jurgen is a great guide and a wonderful representative of Costa Rica and San Jose in particular. He enthusiastically shared his knowledge with us and did a terrific job.